I’m the King of the Castle: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Alone in the forest, Charles and Edmund notice that it’s getting dark. Edmund accuses Charles of having “nits” and adds that his father will buy him an expensive watch for Christmas.

Charles has caught a fish to eat: he pulls it out of the water and, rather than kill it with his penknife, lets die slowly on the grass. As the fish writhes on the grass, Edmund accuses Charles of letting him die—had he not gone off to explore, Edmund might not have bashed his head. He also accuses Charles of being a bully for not killing the fish straightaway with his penknife.

Charles cooks the fish by piercing it on a stick. The fish tastes bad—Edmund spits it out, but Charles eats a little. Edmund complains that Charles is supposed to be taking care of him while he’s injured, and Charles calls Edmund a baby. It is now completely dark, except for the light of the fire.

Edmund mocks Charles for having a mother who kisses him goodnight. Charles points out that Edmund doesn’t even have a mother, but Edmund shoots back, “I wouldn’t want one” and adds, “Fathers are better.” Charles raises the stick he’s used to cook the fish, and Edmund quickly says, “You better not try to hit me.” Charles throws the stick in the fire.

Edmund asks Charles, “Has your mother gone after a lot of people … the way she’s gone after my father?” Charles immediately regrets not hitting Edmund with the stick. Edmund, gloating, tells Charles that Charles’s mother, Helena, has come to Warings to marry Joseph. Charles begins to despise his mother. Then he remembers that this is all his “father’s fault.” Even while Charles was in school, Charles didn’t have enough money, since his father was dead. He was a G.B.B, a “Governor’s Bequest Boy,” and everyone knew it. He wishes his mother was dead instead of his father.

Later that night, Edmund is fast asleep. Charles has given him his anorak as a pillow. Charles feels “protective” toward Edmund. He also decides that Edmund’s comments about his mother don’t matter—Edmund is just a nuisance. Then, in the distance, Charles begins to hear the sound of foxes howling. Then, he sees an owl fly overhead. As the owl hoots, he wishes he could hide his head under a blanket. He feels “cold and dead,” and wants to cry.

When Charles wakes up, it’s still dark. He hears Edmund crying out in his sleep: he says, “Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!” Charles wakes up Edmund and tells him to take another aspirin. As Charles goes to fetch some water from the stream, Edmund wails that he feels hot.

Edmund swallows the last aspirin. Charles tells him that they’ll have to stay in place if Edmund is still sick tomorrow. Edmund suggests that his father may call the police to search for them in the forest. He adds that Charles will be in trouble when the police find them, since “It’s your fault.” Edmund claims he’ll tell the police that Charles made him leave Warings. Suddenly, Edmund cries, “I want to go home.” Charles calls him a “great blubbering baby.” Edmund begs Charles, “Don’t go away.”

Charles feels a sudden urge to press his advantage. He bellows, “Shut up, Hooper … I’ll bash your head in.” Charles straddles Edmund and threatens to hit him if he says anything else. Edmund begins to cry. Charles hesitates, climbs off of Edmund, and then apologizes. He knows he’s giving up his advantage, but he also knows now that he has an “inner strength” that Edmund lacks. He tells Edmund not to worry, and he tries not to think about “what would happen if nobody did come for them.”